GPT-5 facts for kids

GPT-5 is a very advanced AI created by the company OpenAI. It's the newest and most powerful version of their computer programs that can understand and create human-like text. Think of it as the brain behind the popular tool ChatGPT.

GPT stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer. This means it's an AI that can generate new text, has been pre-trained on a huge amount of information from the internet and books, and uses a special technology called a transformer to understand how words relate to each other. It was released on August 7, 2025, and is available for everyone to use.

The Journey to GPT-5

For a long time, people were excited about what GPT-5 would be like. The head of OpenAI, Sam Altman, said in 2023 that the team was focused on making their current AI, GPT-4, even better before starting on a brand new one.

OpenAI officially began working on GPT-5, and by the summer of 2025, many people guessed it would be released soon. The company dropped hints, like changing the letter "s" to a "5" in an announcement for a "live5tream" event. On August 7, 2025, they officially introduced GPT-5 to the world.

What Can GPT-5 Do?

According to OpenAI, GPT-5 is a big leap forward from older versions. The company's leader, Sam Altman, described it as being "significantly better" and able to perform tasks at the level of an expert with a PhD. Here are some of its key improvements:

• Smarter and Faster: It can think more deeply about problems and gives answers more quickly.
• Better Skills: It's much better at writing stories, essays, and computer code.
• More Accurate: It's designed to be more truthful and make fewer mistakes. In AI, when a model makes up facts, it's sometimes called a "hallucination". GPT-5 does this much less often.
• Safer Responses: GPT-5 is built to be more helpful and safe. If you ask it a tricky or sensitive question, instead of just refusing to answer, it tries to give a safe and useful response. OpenAI calls this "Safe Completions."
• More Thoughtful: Unlike older models that might always agree with you, GPT-5 is designed to be more critical. It might challenge an idea or offer a different point of view, leading to more interesting conversations.
• Better Voice Conversations: The voice mode in ChatGPT was upgraded. It now sounds more natural, almost like you're talking to a real person.

Everyone can use the basic version of GPT-5 for free. Users who pay for a subscription get to use it more often and can access even more powerful versions.

How GPT-5 Thinks

GPT-5 isn't just one single program. It's a whole system of different AI models working together. Think of it like a toolbox with different tools for different jobs.

• A fast model for quick and simple questions.
• A deep reasoning model for difficult problems that need a lot of thought.

A "router" inside the system automatically picks the best model to use for your question. This means you get a fast answer for easy tasks and a more detailed, well-thought-out answer for complex ones. This is an improvement because users no longer have to manually pick which model to use.

How Much Energy Does It Use?

OpenAI hasn't shared the exact details, but some experts have estimated how much power GPT-5 uses. They think that asking it a question that needs a medium-length answer uses about 18 watt-hours of electricity. That's about the same amount of energy a classic light bulb uses in 18 minutes!

GPT-5 in the Real World

GPT-5 isn't just for chatting. Many big companies started using it to improve their products and services.

• Microsoft is adding GPT-5 to many of its products, including its AI assistant, Copilot.
• Apple plans to use GPT-5 to make its own AI, Apple Intelligence, even smarter on iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers.
• Uber uses GPT-5 to help with its customer support system, answering questions from riders and drivers.
• The health insurance company Oscar Health uses it to help review applications.
• Companies like GitLab and Cursor use it to help developers write computer code faster.
• The Spanish bank BBVA uses the AI to help with financial reports.
• Other companies like Lowe's and Notion also use GPT-5 to power their tools.

This shows how powerful AI like GPT-5 is already changing how businesses work.